eBay Shares Another Spring Savings Coupon With 15% Off Almost Everything Sitewide

eBay this afternoon launched another Spring Savings coupon, which is designed to allow customers to take 15 percent off of almost anything on eBay.

The 15 percent off coupon lasts for a few hours only, running from 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time, or 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To get the deal, customers will need to make a purchase on eBay worth $25 or more, pay for the item ahead of the coupon’s expiration date, and enter the coupon code PREPSPRING in the coupon redemption field.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

eBay’s coupon is available to eBay accounts registered in the United States and Canada, and the maximum discount allowed on an item is $50. The deal excludes gift cards and coupons, coins and paper money, and real estate. The coupon is a one-time use code, so if you’re planning to purchase multiple items to get a discount, make sure to purchase them all at once.

For more information on the code visit eBay’s landing page, and head over to eBay’s Daily Deals tech section to get started on shopping for ideas before the sale ends tonight. For more sales and discounts, make sure to check out our Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: eBay
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple updates $330 iPad, adds Pencil support and 200GB iCloud storage for students

Apple took reporters on a field trip to Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago to announce its newest product: An all new budget iPad targeted towards the education market.

The 2018 iPad costs $330 for consumers — the same price as last year’s iPad — and $300 for schools. While the pricing has not changed from last year’s entry-level iPad, it’s the first non-Pro model to support the Apple Pencil, a precise stylus that has mainly been catered towards artists and designers for professional use. Apple’s newest iPad is available to order now, and it will begin shipping this week.

The latest iPad packs a 9.7-inch Retina display, an A10 fusion processor (the same powering the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus) and 32GB of storage. The battery should last around 10 hours, making it perfect for a full school day. There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the rear, and an HD front-facing camera.

The body is constructed of aluminum, and the design looks nearly identical to the existing iPad. There’s no updates to the Apple Pencil, which the new iPad supports, and it will cost the same $100 for consumers, and $89 for schools. There’s a third-party Logitech stylus called Crayon (costing $50), along with a keyboard case, that will also support the new iPad. If you want to learn more, check out our iPad hands-on preview coverage.

Software

iWork, Apple’s productivity suite on iOS, also received a pretty impressive update. The updated edition will feature “Smart Annotation,” a feature that will allow teachers to collaborate with students on different documents. Students and educators will also be able to use the Pages app to create digital books.

Teachers will also be able to use Apple School Manager to create bulk Apple IDs as well as manage all iPad functions. The new iPads offer 200GB of iCloud storage for schools, which means there’s plenty of storage to work with on the cloud.

Schoolwork is another app that will be available to educators to assign class handouts and curricula.

Programs

Everyone Can Code, Apple’s Swift programming initiative played a key role in Apple’s announcement as well. While the program has been around for awhile, Apple explained the training opportunities available for educators and how Swift Playground, the primary coding app for students, can be used in the classroom. An ARKit plugin was also added to Swift Playgrounds allowing students to learn how to code different AR components.

New ARKit plugin for Swift Playgrounds to let kids get started with AR at an early age #DTAppleEvent https://t.co/ddKHGB6Brx pic.twitter.com/QgCln2yLkZ

— Jeremy Kaplan (@SmashDawg) March 27, 2018

Apple also announced a new program called Everyone Can Create. The program creates interactive educational experiences using Apple Pencil, speakers, and components of the iPad . A preview is available today and will be updated in the summer with additional content.

Although Apple has faced backlash this year concerning children’s increased dependence on smartphones and tablets, the company’s latest announcements show the tech giant is trying to emphasize the importance of meaningful tech time as opposed to passive consumption. Combining its low-cost iPad with its educational initiatives, Apple hopes to reiterate the value of tech in the classroom to increasingly weary parents.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPad (2018) hands-on preview
• Everything Apple announced at its education-focused event in Chicago
• Man pleads guilty to distributing over 40,000 counterfeit Apple products
• Could Apple already be considering a lower-priced version of the HomePod?
• Bang & Olufsen looks to the future with new headphones and Airplay 2 support

Moment Filmmaker Collection brings cinematic shooting to smartphone cameras

With the iPhone-shot Unsane as inspiration, smartphone lens accessory maker Moment announced a new series of products built specifically for cinematographers. Called the Filmmaker Collection, it combines four accessories that push beyond the limits of your phone’s built-in camera, promising cinematic results like never before.

The heart of the collection is a new 1.33x anamorphic lens adapter that works with Apple iPhone (including the iPhone X), Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy phones via Moment’s Photo Case. This is a true anamorphic optic, widening the high-definition 16:9 aspect ratio to the cinematic standard of 2.40:1 without cropping away any pixels. Like professional anamorphic lenses, the resulting image will need to be “de-squeezed” to look normal without distortion, which can be done in the updated version of Moment app or Filmic Pro, a popular filmmaking app that offers advanced controls.

Anamorphic widescreen is a hallmark of cinema, a format originally invented to further differentiate the movie theater from a home television. It produces a wider field of view (in the horizontal dimension) than what you would normally expect from a lens of a given focal length, giving cinema a unique look that simply can’t be emulated.

Typically, anamorphic lenses are very expensive, but Moment’s compact adapter is $149. It still has a somewhat niche appeal, but filmmakers who have wanted to dabble in the anamorphic look now have an affordable option.

The remaining products in the Filmmaker Collection include the Gimbal Counterweight ($39), Lens Filter Adapter ($39), and an iPhone X Battery Photo Case ($99). The counterweight  is designed to balance the additional weight of using the anamorphic adapter or other accessory lens when shooting with a handheld gimbal. While it should work with most smartphone gimbals, Moment said it “officially” supports the DJI Osmo Mobile, Zhiyun SmoothQ, and Evo Shift. Gimbals perform best when perfectly balanced, but smartphone gimbals generally don’t offer as much control for balancing non-standard phone setups. The counterweight, which attaches easily via a Velcro strap, solves this problem.

The filter adapter (also $39) lets users attach standard 62mm filters onto any Moment lens, including the anamorphic adapter, while the iPhone X Battery Photo Case ($99), the first of its kind from Moment, adds an extra 3,100mAh to keep you filming longer (Moment says it can recharge the phone to 90 percent).

Moment is accepting preorders for all new products now, and expects to begin shipping in June.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Moment’s new lens adapter adds filters for your smartphone
• Sharp shooters: The best camera phones you can buy
• Snapchat now lets you create custom, wacky AR Lenses with new fee-based tool
• All phones in Alcatel’s 2018 budget lineup feature an 18:9 display
• See better, play better. A simple philosophy belies complex tech in Adidas glasses

Commuterpak is a versatile bag for tablets and other devices

Everyday carry bags stash anything from a tablet to a Nintendo Switch for the commute — but the Atlanta-based Funk Street Outfitters is launching a bag that’s just as versatile in carrying options. The Commuterpak is an urban style bag with three different carry options.

The Commuterpak can be worn as a sling or shoulder bag or using the waist belt. An active strap adds a third option, allowing for a shoulder carry but without it bouncing around. That last option is one of several of the pack’s features designed for cyclists, including a reflective strip and webbing to store a U lock.

Funk Street Outfitters says its new bag is different because the bag doesn’t come with a big-name price tag, yet has a lifetime warranty and is made from top materials. The exterior is constructed from a honeycomb ripstop nylon while the heavy-duty zippers prevent water from getting inside the bag when it’s raining.

The main compartment of the bag is accessible using a magnetic buckle that the company says allows users to open the bag with one hand — and enables automatic closure when you let go of the buckle. That main compartment houses a tablet sleeve lined in microfiber that will stash anything from the Nintendo Switch to the 10.5-inch Apple iPad Pro or 10.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Book. Two smaller compartments at the front store smaller gear, with a cable pass-through. Exterior D-rings allow wearers to add on small items.

The bag measures 11.5 by 9 inches, with a 4.5-inch depth. Despite the durable materials, the Commuterpak still weighs in at under a pound. The strap adjusts from 33.5 inches to 49.5 inches including the length of the bag, allowing for the different carrying options. A shoulder pad and an action strap is also included.

Funk Street Outfitters says the bag design offers a sleek urban aesthetic yet remains inconspicuous enough to blend with a variety of different styles. The bag is expected to launch in black and an olive green color options.

Funk Street Outfitters is looking to launch the Commuterpak on Kickstarter, with a campaign continuing through April 12. The bag has already exceeded the original $12,500 goal several times over. If the campaign is successful, early backers can pick up the bag for pledges starting at $70, a $20 discount from the expected retail price.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

Editors’ Recommendations

• Designed by photographers, these Mountainsmith bags are made for adventure
• Tenba Solstice 24L Review
• Ona’s new cylindrical camera bag series is inspired by vintage lens cases
• The 25 best laptop bags for everyone, from students to globetrotters
• Hike, backpack, or cycle with Patagonia’s new Nine Trails line of backpacks

Microsoft updates Code of Conduct to crack down on offensive content

Microsoft recently distributed an email stating that its Code of Conduct terms will be updated to prohibit offensive language and fraudulent activity starting May 1, 2018. The clarification applies to all Microsoft services, and any violation will result in the suspension or ban from said services. That includes eliminating any remaining time you have on an Xbox Live Gold membership, canceling all balances, and forfeiting content licenses.  

In other words, break the rules and Microsoft keeps your credit and digital purchases. That is the big misconception about digital purchases: They’re not yours to keep like physical merchandise. You’re paying for the right to use the content, and any violation of a company’s Terms of Use or Code of Conduct removes that right without any refunds. 

So how do you stay clean? Don’t do anything illegal, Microsoft warns. Don’t ask for money under false pretenses, don’t send spam, don’t impersonate someone else, and don’t do anything that harms children. Even more, don’t violate the privacy of others, don’t send viruses, don’t post threats, and so on. 

“We may stop providing Services to you or we may close your Microsoft account,” the company warns. “We may also block delivery of a communication (like email, file sharing or instant message) to or from the Services in an effort to enforce these Terms or we may remove or refuse to publish Your Content for any reason. When investigating alleged violations of these Terms, Microsoft reserves the right to review Your Content in order to resolve the issue. However, we cannot monitor the entire Services and make no attempt to do so.” 

Even if you don’t do anything illegal, keeping the language clean is still a top priority. The problem with Xbox Live is that you really don’t know who’s behind the gamertag that keeps shooting you in the head during online matches … unless you know the individual personally. That said, the “don’t engage in activity that is harmful” rule comes into play if you’re an adult cursing out the offending gamertag that happens to be a minor. 

But the rules don’t apply to just Xbox-related services. They span across everything provided by Microsoft, including Skype and OneDrive. Microsoft said it “cannot monitor the entire Services,” but customers are now worried that even the slightest joke will ban them from the company’s platforms forever. Based on the language seen in the revised Code of Conduct, customers are worried that they can’t even use Skype for private conversations. 

In this case, here is what Microsoft says you can’t do with its services: 

Don’t publicly display inappropriate content or material.  

Don’t share inappropriate content or material. 

Both rules apply to nudity, bestiality, pornography, offensive language, and similar content and material. Banning customers from displaying this content publicly is understandable, but when sharing with individuals through private channels, someone must be the whistleblower. Thus, your naughty Skype conversations with the boyfriend or girlfriend should be safe until they get mad and report you to Microsoft out of anger.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft is setting the stage for Xbox Game Pass to thrive
• The 20 best Xbox One games you can play right now
• Learn how to change your gamertag on an Xbox One in just a few simple steps
• Microsoft Teams will likely eventually offer a subscription-free version
• LG Gram 15Z980 vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 15

Mozilla’s Facebook Firefox tool helps keep your browsing habits more private

The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal brought Facebook’s privacy issues to a head. Concerns over how Facebook manages user data, along with other highly charged issues around political advertising, had been simmering for months and then exploded recently with reports that Facebook was mining user data without receiving permission. There is even a #DeleteFacebook movement that’s received support for notable tech celebrities like Tesla’s Elon Musk.

If you’re concerned about how Facebook is tracking you as you surf the web, then Firefox browser developer Mozilla has the tool for you. In a blog post on Tuesday, March 27, Mozilla introduced a new Firefox Container add-on that “isolates your Facebook identify from the rest of your web activity.” According to Mozilla, once you have installed the add-on, Facebook will find it much more difficult to track your browsing habits outside of the social media site but your use of Facebook itself won’t be directed.

To install the add-on, simply go to the appropriate Firefox add-on page and click the “+ Add to Firefox” button. You will be asked to grant permission and then whenever you visit Facebook, note the blue Facebook label to the right of the URL box. Its presence indicates that your browsing sessions will be protected from Facebook’s prying eyes as you surf away from the site.

Mozilla
Mozilla

The Facebook Container add-in is the result of years of work by Mozilla, resulting in technology that the organization is now making available to users in response to “growing demand for tools that help manage privacy and security.” The add-in’s benefit is that it allows users to continue to use Facebook while avoiding some of the “unexpected side effects.” Mozilla stresses that the Facebook Container would not have stopped the kind of issue highlighted by the Cambridge Analytica incident.

Mozilla points out that Facebook isn’t the only site that’s collecting your information, and recommends that you review each service to understand how it’s gathering and using your data. That is sage advice. For anyone concerned specifically about Facebook and who wants to learn more, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has more information on how to adjust your Facebook settings for improved privacy.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Facebook was always too busy selling ads to care about your personal data
• 9 things to know about Facebook privacy and Cambridge Analytica
• Here are five tips to keep your data private on Facebook
• Facebook collected call and text data from Android phones for years
• Facebook: Yes, we track your calls and texts, but you told us we could

Doctors can steer this robot through your guts with an Xbox-style controller

A new flexible endoscopy robot, designed to access hard-to-reach places inside the human body, has received official U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. Called Monarch Platform, the new medical robot has its eyes set on treating a number of diseases and conditions, with the immediate target being lung cancer.

“The use of small cameras and tools to enter the body non-invasively hasn’t changed significantly since it was first introduced in the mid-twentieth century, and is still far from realizing its fullest potential,” Josh DeFonzo, chief strategy officer at manufacturer Auris, told Digital Trends. “While endoscopy is one of the safest ways to enter the body, limitations of current endoscopic tools and techniques translate to substandard patient outcomes. Auris developed the Monarch Platform to overcome these limitations. We believe that the Monarch Platform will transform endoscopy by enhancing physicians’ capabilities and dramatically improving clinical outcomes for patients for a variety of disease states.”

Since being founded by surgical robotics pioneer Dr. Frederic Moll six years ago, Auris has raised more than $500 million in equity capital to develop its technology. While Auris’ dream for medical robots still has a way to go before it becomes a fully fledged mainstream reality, Monarch represents an important step. Doctors will be able to control the flexible robot by way of a video game-style controller. Once inside a patient, the robot can record images and potentially make physical interventions.

“The reason lung cancer is so deadly is that the diagnostic and treatment processes are ineffective,” DeFonzo continued. “The majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed in late stage, when the cancer has already spread beyond its primary location. With lung cancer, patients often have no symptoms. Nodules are typically small, deep in the lungs and difficult to reach, making early stage diagnosis and treatment difficult. The goal of the Monarch Platform is to allow physicians to accurately access small and hard-to-reach nodules early, without incisions and with fewer complications, for diagnosing and targeting treatment.”

DeFonzo said that Monarch is currently intended for use by interventional pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons. Plans are afoot to expand into other clinical areas, too. A limited launch of the robot will take place across the U.S. later this year. In other words, it’s coming soon to a hospital near you.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Swallow this ingestible gas sensor to spill the secrets of your angry gut
• Vertigo can ruin life for millions — these biofeedback headphones aim to help
• Stem cells slashed alcoholism rates in rats. Can it do the same for humans?
• Biotech startup is creating genetically engineered ‘superblood’ to battle cancer
• Bizarre laser treatment promises to zap away acne and skin disease

Google loses copyright appeal against Oracle, may owe billions

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Google’s use of application program interfaces (APIs) owned by Oracle is a violation of U.S. copyright laws, Reuters reports. The case was remanded to a lower court to determine damages. The ruling comes two years after a lower court ruled in Google’s favor, stating its use of APIs fell under fair use.

The ruling is the latest in a contentious legal battle that has spanned a better part of a decade. Oracle contends that Google infringed upon its copyrights when the tech giant used 37 unlicensed Java APIs to create Android OS. Google countered its use fell under “fair use” under copyright law.

When Oracle initially filed the suit in 2010, it sought out $2.6 billion in damages for the API use. When the case went in front of a jury in 2016, it recalculated damages based on the growth of the Android platform and upped its number to $9.3 billion, with $8.3 billion representing Google’s profits from Android.

While the court ruled that APIs are not eligible for copyright protection in the Google v. Oracle trial, a separate 2014 case tried in front of the Federal circuit court issued a decision stating APIs are indeed subject to copyright laws; the higher court’s ruling paved the way for Oracle’s most recent appeal.

In response to the ruling, Dorien Daley, Oracle’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, told Digital Trends “the Federal Circuit’s opinion upholds fundamental principles of copyright law and makes clear that Google violated the law. This decision protects creators and consumers from the unlawful abuse of their rights.”

We reached out to Google for its response to the verdict. A spokesperson for the company said,  “We are disappointed the court reversed the jury finding that Java is open and free for everyone. This type of ruling will make apps and online services more expensive for users. We are considering our options.”

It’s unclear exactly what options Google has at this point. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case once already, but it is likely the tech giant will continue the appeals process for as long as possible.

Should the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit stand, the implications could be significant for developers. Programmers frequently use APIs to develop both new software and integrate different applications. Additionally, consumers could expect to see higher software prices and fewer options on the market.

Updated March 27, 2018: Added statement from Oracle. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Samsung’s jailed chairman freed after sentence reduced and suspended
• Social Feed: Embeds might be iIllegal, Vimeo adds simultaneous live-streams
• Ahead of potential federal law, Seattle is asking Facebook for election data
• Google’s $1.1 billion ‘big bet on hardware’ deal with HTC is final
• France issues legal challenge to ‘abusive commercial practices’ by Google, Apple

Protect your tiny titan with the best Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact cases

When you’re looking for a powerful phone with a small silhouette, Sony’s Xperia Compact range is a name that springs to mind (though we like some other small smartphones, too). The new Xperia XZ2 Compact crams many of the flagship XZ2’s powerful features into a smaller polycarbonate frame. But this tiny titan isn’t the best at taking a blow.

So what’s a thrifty small smartphone lover to do? A protective case is a great way to add a little protection to your phone and amp up its style in one fell swoop. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact cases you can grab to keep your powerful handful safe.

Olixar Ultra-Thin Gel Case ($9)

Always near the top of our shopping list is a good clear gel case. While it won’t give the same amount of protection as some larger cases, a gel case still provides decent enough shock absorption — thanks to the absorbent properties of TPU — and is completely clear, making it the best case to choose if you can’t bear to cover your phone’s stylish body. This offering from Olixar comes with raised edges that keep your phone’s screen from touching surfaces, is super thin, and has been treated with a nonslip coating for extra grip on your phone. Best of all, it’s not going to break the bank.

Buy one now from:

Mobile Fun

Kugi Scratch-Resistant Grip Case ($8)

If you want something that’s a step up in protection and offers a little extra style, then check out this case from Kugi. Fully fashioned from shock-resistant and shock-absorbent TPU, this case provides more protection than your standard gel case, while still being extremely thin. Ridges down the edges of the case assist with grip on your phone, and button covers help to guide your fingers when you’re fumbling around in your pocket. The back panel is also made from TPU, but has been styled to look like leather and provide another grippy surface that looks good. It’s not real leather, but it feels good anyway and keeps costs down.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Anccer Anti-Slip Hard Texture Case ($12)

There’s nothing quite like polycarbonate for providing protective strength while still keeping a case thin and light. This case from Anccer ticks all the right boxes for protective options, giving great strength without compromising on weight. It’s designed to have a rough, sand-like texture that should help you keep a good hold of your phone. It’s not too rough, but it does emulate the feel of OnePlus’s sandstone cases very well. It’s not going to be as good at insulating against blunt forces as TPU, but Anccer claims that its advanced PC should still provide some shock absorption. If you’re looking for a slim, stylish hard case, then you’ll be hard pressed to find one this good for the price.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Official Sony Style Cover Touch Case ($53)

If you want a high-quality case and don’t care about price, why not go straight to the phone’s manufacturer? The Official Sony Style Cover is a flip wallet-style case that offers all-round protection thanks to the screen cover and case that clips onto your phone. Best of all, you don’t even need to take the protection off to use it. Thanks to an NFC connection with your phone, the front cover of the case can be used as a touchscreen, just as if it was the phone’s display. You can buy a color to match your XZ2 Compact’s own color, and since it’s made by Sony, you can be sure it’s a perfect fit. It’s expensive, but with this all-round coverage, it’s one of the best options for pure protection and style rolled into one.

Buy one now from:

Mobile Fun

Fettion Leather-Style Flip Wallet Case ($8)

There’s something nice about a wallet case — they’re simple, but provide good protection and a certain executive style that other cases lack. This case is made from PU (polyurethane) leather, but it’s difficult to tell it apart from the real thing. PU leather is hard-wearing and easy to maintain, so you shouldn’t have many issues with this case down the line, and it should offer good protection. It can fold into a landscape stand for easy video watching, and has space to hold a couple of credit cards and some extra cash. Not bad for just $8.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• Safeguard your Sony smartphone with the best Xperia XZ2 cases
• The best Sony Xperia XA2 cases to keep your smartphone looking ‘Xcellent’
• The best Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra cases for peace of mind
• These are the best cases and covers for the Honor 9 Lite smartphone
• Keep calm and stay zen with the best Asus Zenfone 4 cases

How to overclock your GPU

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Although upgrading to a brand new graphics card is arguably the best way to improve your PC’s 3D rendering ability, you can eke out a little more performance from your existing card with overclocking. Much like a CPU, a graphics card contains chips that with the right tweaks can work harder and faster. That can mean better benchmark results and higher frames per second in your favorite games.

Although still a little intimidating and certainly not friendly to your graphics card’s temperatures, learning how to overclock your GPU is easier today than it’s ever been. You just need the right tools, the right steps, and plenty of patience.

A word of warning

Overclocking anything, be it your CPU, graphics card, or memory, has inherent risks. They are relatively low, but they are important to consider so that you’re well informed before starting. Overclocking anything involves the process of forcing it to perform at a faster rate than it was manufactured to do so. That means you are pushing it harder and by working faster, it will get hotter and it may become less stable. That could result in crashes in the short term and over the long term, could reduce the lifespan of your particular hardware.

There’s a chance that overclocking your hardware may void your warranty too. Many manufacturers allow it, as graphics cards will throttle up and down during general usage anyhow. However, serious tweaks like playing with voltages or flashing your graphics card’s BIOS are more likely to impact any warranty you have. The best bet is to double check with your manufacturer whether what you’re doing affects the warranty before beginning.

Although we will do our best to guide you along the path to a faster, more powerful graphics card, Digital Trends accepts no liability for any problems you run into with your hardware along the way.

Overclocking a graphics card is also only recommended for desktop PC users. Although in some cases you can overclock laptop GPUs — including Intel HD chips — it’s not usually recommended due to temperature concerns.

Step 1: Get ready

Before you can actually get started overclocking your GPU, you need to get everything ready. The first step, if you don’t know already, is figuring out which graphics card you have. To do so, you can take a look at the card itself, or the packaging if you still have it. If that doesn’t work, right-click your desktop and click either the Nvidia or AMD graphics settings link, followed by “My Rig” or “System,” respectively.

If you’d rather use a manufacturer agnostic solution, GPUZ can tell you everything you need to know about your graphics card.

Once you know exactly which graphics card you’re running, you should update to the latest graphics drivers. You can find those on Nvidia and AMD’s websites. Upgrading them will likely require a reboot, so make sure to come back to this guide when you’re done, or read on before continuing.

Before starting the overclocking proper, you’ll also want to download some useful tools to help you along. First, you’ll want to download the overclocking tool we’re going to be using for this guide: MSI Afterburner. Although AMD has its own Wattman alternative and there are several other popular third-party tools, Afterburner works for just about every graphics card and offers a full suite of features.

You’re also going to need a benchmark to test the stability of your new graphics card. A proven, lightweight benchmark is Unigine’s Valley. We also like Furmark for its built in temperature readout, but it’s more of a synthetic test. If you have any games with built in benchmarks you may want to have those installed and to hand, so that you can see what effect your new overclocks have on performance.

If you haven’t cleaned your PC in a long time, this is also a good time to do so, as any extra dust in your system can heavily contribute to GPU temperature spikes during overclocking. It’s not a mandatory step but is certainly advisable before you get started.

Step 2: Establish baselines

The next step in your overclocking journey is establishing baselines. You want to know your system’s standard clock speeds (for both the core and memory), as well as its standard operating temperatures (both idle and load) and its standard performance.

To find out those figures, close down any applications that are already running and startup MSI Afterburner. Although you can customize the look of Afterburner to how you see fit, to make sure we’re all on the same page about the location of different elements, locate the cog “Settings” button and click it. Use the top-tab navigation arrows and select “User Interface.” Then in the “User interface skinning properties” heading, use the drop down to select “Default MSI Afterburner v3 skin,” and click “OK.”

If you need to, use the temperature settings to convert readouts to Celsius or Fahrenheit depending on your preference.

The graphs on the right-hand side will tell you most of what you need to know at this point. The top one is for your graphics card’s core temperature. It can run anywhere up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit without much difficulty, but anything beyond that gets dangerous for your hardware and can result in crashes or even damage, so it’s important to be aware of your GPU’s temperature at all times during overclocking and subsequent testing.

The other figures to be aware of are core clock and memory clock. Those are the figures that we’re going to be tweaking during overclocking. The “Min” numbers on those graphs are the idling speeds, while the “Max,” figures are the ones that your graphics card will typically use when it’s working hard at rendering a game or benchmark. That’s what we want to raise to improve performance.

The final number(s) to find out before we start overclocking for real, is an idea of your graphics card’s performance. Run the Valley benchmark you downloaded earlier using the “Extreme HD” preset, or with everything at maximum quality, fullscreen, and at “System” resolution.

Note: Press “F9” during the demo to begin the benchmark.

If you want to note down some additional performance numbers before beginning, you may also want to run Futuremark’s 3Dmark, or any modern game with its own built-in benchmarking utility, like Shadow of Mordor or Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Step 3: Slow and steady

Overclocking might be easier today than ever before, but that doesn’t mean you should rush into it headfirst. Overclocking is most successful when you take your time and take precautions along the way. Make sure that during your baseline benchmarking that Afterburner’s temperature graph doesn’t show any dangerous peaks. Anything over 176 degrees Fahrenheit would suggest your cooling isn’t strong enough for overclocking.

Also make sure that in the Afterburner window the “Apply overclocking as system startup,” box isn’t ticked. That forces your newly designated clock speeds to startup with Windows and you don’t want that until you have found a stable overclock.

If you have some temperature headroom, start up the Valley stress testing application again, but this time run it in “Windowed” mode. In the Afterburner window, raise the power limit to its maximum percentage — that lets your GPU draw as much power as it needs for the settings you put into it and avoids any automated throttling. It will not affect the voltage put through your chips.

Make sure Valley is running and return to the Afterburner window. Using either the slider or by typing in the number yourself, raise your clock speed by 10MHz. Once that’s done, reopen the Valley window and watch for any visual “artifacts.” These are visual signs that your graphics chip is working too hard and can manifest as tiny blocks of miscolored pixels, or large shard-like bands of color. If you don’t see any of those after a minute or two, return to the Afterburner window and repeat the process.

Repeat that time and again until you see artifacts, or until Valley itself crashes. If you push things too far, you may see a black screen as your graphics driver crashes or your entire system reboots. Don’t fret, you just went too far. Dial things back a couple of steps (20Mhz or so) and run Valley again. This time let it run through a couple of loops. If everything is stable you’ve found a safe maximum for your GPU.

Once you have found the limit for your core, note down that value, reset the clock to its default and perform the same process on the memory clock. This time you’re looking for artifacts that represent as solid blocks or blobs of color. Again, once you’ve reached the limit, roll back a couple of steps and perform a longer stability test. Once you’ve found your limit, note it down and reset everything.

Step 4: Bring it all together

Now that you have your individual maximums for both core and memory clocks, it’s time to combine them. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to use the full maximum overclock for both at the same time, as both put additional stress on your graphics card, but it’s possible. Your best bet is to start at the bottom again though and raise both values together. Know what the maximum is and be ready for artifacts and crashes as you approach it. As before, once you find the limit, roll back a step or two and perform longer stability tests. You can then raise one or the other individually if you like, to see if either, in particular, was the cause of the stability issue.

Once you have your stable dual-maximum overclock for both core and memory, it’s time to perform some real stability testing. Let the Valley test run through several times in a row, play some games for a few hours — and keep a keen eye out for problems. If you encounter any, scale back the clocks a single step and start again.

Although this process can seem arduous, it’s the final big step in making sure your system can run at these clocks all day, everyday. Once you’ve found it, you can — if you like — use Afterburner to trigger these settings every time your PC boots up.

You now have a permanent GPU overclock. To find out how much of an improvement you’ve made, run all of your gaming benchmarks again and see what your new scores are compared to the old ones.

Hopefully, that boost should keep you gaming at your favorite resolution and detail settings for longer. At least until the GPU prices come down.

What about voltage?

One of the ways in which you can increase stability and viability of some core clocks is by increasing the voltage pushed through the chip, otherwise known as Core Voltage and abbreviated in Afterburner as “mV.” Increasing voltages is disabled in Afterburner by default as it has a much greater impact on your system than other settings. Increasing voltages can reduce the lifespan of your graphics card and even damage it irreparably if used irresponsibly. It can also lead to a large increase in the amount of power your graphics card draws, reducing the card — and by extension, your system’s — efficiency.

Although Afterburner has its own limits that are unlikely to allow you to stress your card too much, because every card is different, if you want to try out mV adjustment, do a quick Google search for your particular card to find a safe limit. You can enable voltage adjustments in the Afterburner settings menu.

With that said, use it much the same way you would frequency adjustments. Raise it in small amounts to see if it allows for a more stable overclock — or increased clocks. Watch your temperatures closely and if you encounter any problems, scale it back. Make sure to test for stability as you did with all previous changes.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best graphics cards
• How much RAM do you need? It’s probably less than you think
• Gaming without a GPU has never been easier, here’s how we did it
• Nvidia’s latest software update helps protect your system from ‘Spectre’
• AMD vs. Intel: How does tech’s oldest rivalry look in 2018?